Comparative Analysis of Fixed-Wing, Rotary-Wing and Hybrid Mini Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) from the Applications Perspective

Abstract

Mini Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) present distinct design challenges due to their man-portable, field-deployable profile. The implications of various unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) design configurations for Mini UAS applications are discussed in this study. Fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and hybrid Mini UAS design configurations are analysed and compared based on performance parameters specified by various manufacturers to assess appropriateness for military and civil applications. Mini UAS designed for military applications can meet most requirements in the civil domain. However, the reverse is seldom feasible because of several restrictions imposed by combat conditions. Fixed-wing Mini UAS have significant limitations for military applications, primarily because of launch and recovery considerations. For civil applications, the fixed-wing configuration provides multiple advantages. The benefit of the rotary-wing configuration's compact size to overcome various battlespace restrictions for military applications does not translate to other performance parameters, and this is a serious limitation for its applications. The hybrid profile has significant design advantages that can be leveraged for both military and civil applications. The interrelation between design, end-use requirements and terrain restrictions presented in the paper provides an insight into the implications of the design configurations of Mini UAS for various applications.